1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector for receiving a plurality of wires, and particularly to an electrical connector with a housing and a receiving portion for alignment of a plurality of wires.
2. Description of Prior Art
Electrical connectors are widely used in personal computer (PC) systems to electrically connect a plurality of wires for carrying high currents with a mating electrical connector mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). A typical electrical connector, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,342,221, 4,544,220, and 6,135,822 comprises an insulative housing having a number of ports arranged in at least one row.
FIG. 3 shows a conventional electrical connector 30, and a plurality of wires 40 received in the electrical connector 30. The connector 30 comprises a broad upper portion 32, a narrow lower portion 34, and a hook portion 36. The hook portion 36 protrudes from a longitudinal sidewall of the upper portion 32, for fastening a mating electrical connector (not shown). The lower portion 34 is separated into two portions each having a plurality of spaced and aligned posts 342. The posts 342 and the upper portion 32 cooperatively define a plurality of ports 302 through a bottom face of the posts 342 and a top face of the upper portion 32. The wires 40 are received in the ports 302 respectively, and protrude out of the upper portion 32.
In use, the electrical connector 30 is received in a mainframe of a computer(not shown). Because distal ends of the wires 40 located on the upper portion 32 are numerous and long, the distal ends of the wires 40 are prone to dispersion. The dispersion state of the wires 40 may inhibit efficientuse of space in the mainframe. This difficulty hinders arrangement of other parts in the mainframe. Simultaneously, this difficulty impedes dissipation of heat generated by other parts in the mainframe.
A new electrical connector that overcomes the above-mentioned problems is desired.